The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1887-02-17

AS | have not such a great aDund-
ance of time in which to do this kind
of correspondence, l take the liberty OF
writing a reply to your esteemed favor
and printing it where 1t will meet the
eye of many persons, no doubt, who
may. contemplate addressing me on
the same subject.
OF the South generally know very
little from personal observation, but
you will find throughout the South,
wherever have been, general tend
ency toward warmer weather than you
obtain in the North.
North Carolina, as you are no
doubt aware, is generally mountainous
in its geographical department, and on
the map which l perused as student,
the State was of dark blue color.
Greatly to my surprise, however, on
arriving here found North Carolina
to be red. The soil, such as it is, has
the same roseate hue. Of the adult brick
of commerce, and continues N that
condition constantly.
The farms generally are. not large
in SIZE, and are divided into three
classes, viz, the Mansard farm, the
Gothic farm, and the dormer farm.
A good Gothic farm, near town, will
bring from SIS to 500 per acre, in
Guiding large wall pockets TO hold
farming impliments at night, so that
they will not drop out OF the Gothic
farm into the dormer farm below.
l do not say that these mountain
farms are steep. | simply state that
water readily runs off when applied to
them.
Tobacco is the great staple here. 1t
IS mostly of the smoking variety,
though on the bottom lands very
hardy dwarf plug tobacco grows easily
and during a long season, planters
may readily grow the large tropical
plug tobacco.
1t is a rare sight to pass along the
country road and see the navy plug
tobacco of North Carolina rising to
its full height in the glorious autumn
sun, while through its waving boughs,
!, the nut.brown or seal-brown plug to-
bacco of trade, with its glittering little
tin tags near the stem, may be readily
distinguished
Fine cut tobacco also grows here K
great height. Everything that goe
to make life worth living may be fount
, in the widest profusion. Whiskey
, SO plenty here that intemperance |
not a mark of distinction.
: : Corn whiskey, whether made be
!, ! meath the broad glare of the noonda
sun or by the moonlight process,
within the reach of all. 1t is SO plent
Z that I do not care for it, and | kno'
that an Iowa man could put in war
y ter here that would De memorab
= = throughout his life.
, You ask about the matter OF healtl
: and | am pleased to state that the
V has not been a circular printed or sci
! out from here during the past ten yea
- that did not state in the most emphat
y terms that this is very healthy coul
Ie try. People who had enjoyed goo
a. health while here, have gone North
u u several instances only to return in
u deceased condition from drowning
$ some other miasmatic inauence.
~ When first came here | was disss
- - isfed. | yearned for something tha
'P' did not find. Il was not scenery
climate, for each of these were a Co
mon occurrence, but | seol got
."s auainted, and in less than two week
'ea had been addressed two times as sc
sat @ onel." | now enjoy the South "
Ys" much.
Fruits of all kinds grow here q
are used for eating purposes aim
to exclusively. The apple, the pea
md the. Hubbard squash, the grape,
II Ioctoroon, the ounce, the pecan,
persimmon and the oPossum 6